


Rebirth

by dorkylokifan



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Mpreg, Multi, Post-Ragnarok
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-02-05 09:07:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12791310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dorkylokifan/pseuds/dorkylokifan
Summary: Post-Ragnarok AU. On a stolen ship with no food, no money, and weeks of travel to reach Midgard, Thor and Loki must make a stop in the middle of Nowhere to gather provisions for their people. Thor must rebuild his population, his home, and his relationship with his estranged brother, all while being hunted by the Grandmaster.





	1. Upon This Rock

Thor squeezed Loki tight, relishing this rare moment of mutual affection absent from the taint of underlying deceit. Loki’s shoulders were broader than they used to be. Despite all his grape eating, Loki had been keeping fit. He’d certainly been harder to throw when they were playing “Get Help” back on Sakar.  And that reminded Thor, that once again, this relationship was not as it had been. In all likelihood, Loki would be looking to move on. It was his way.

                “So brother, where are we going?” Loki asked.

                “Midgard, like father wanted. The people of Norway will receive us well, I believe. We are their Gods of Old, and that seascape will be comforting.”

                “Well, that’s one way to shatter their romanticized notions about our people. Nothing demystifies the divine more quickly than when it walks beside you. Unless they’re gullible. Some of them will be, but unfortunately not enough. Certainly not their leaders. They’ll see us for what we are now. A bunch of penniless desperate refugees,” Loki said.

                “We will be fine. I have earned enough goodwill on Earth to care for all of us,” Thor said, though the words felt bitter the moment they left his mouth. The one exception to that statement being the man standing right before him.

                “Not all of us.”

                “No, not all of us.” There was a knock at the door and Thor shouted for the person to enter. Heimdall came in with Korg following close behind.

                “I did an inventory of the ship. There is no food at all and there are not enough living quarters for everyone. It was meant to carry mostly cargo and a few prisoners. Some of our people have already claimed the jail cells since they have actual beds, but a lot of people will be sleeping on the hard floor with not a pillow or blanket.”

                “There is a port not far from here, call Moldive. We can get a lot of things we need there,” Korg said.

                “With what money?” Loki asked. “What is the local currency?”

                “Xandarian Denars,” Korg said.

                “I left all my gold back at home. You?” Thor asked Loki.

                “I have my bejeweled daggers to trade, and I know that the women can spare their adornments as well, but I don’t know if that will be enough. How many weeks will it take to reach Midgard?”

                “About seven, but we are being hunted. We stole one of the Grandmaster’s ships. He’ll be wanting it back, along with his champion,” Heimdall said.

                “Then we can’t go to Moldive. Where else could we go to resupply?” Thor asked.

                “There is a place, where there are no laws. It is a place where people tend to mind their own business, but it is also dangerous and full of criminals. It is called, NoWhere. It’s a day and a half from here,” Korg said.

                “Then that is where we will need to make port. Take us there,” Thor said. Heimdall nodded and left, with Korg following.

                “You know the Grandmaster will have put out a bounty on us. That place will be filled with the likes of them, and their ships will be faster than ours,” Loki said.

                “Aye.”

                “Then why would you risk it?”

                “Because I have you,” Thor said. Loki quirked an eyebrow in question. “You and I both know we don’t have enough money to pay for all the things we need. We’re going to have to steal, and that means we’ll need a diversion. That requires chaos, mischief, and lies. All the things you love,” Thor said. Loki’s grin spread slowly and stretched ear to ear.

                “This is going to be so much fun brother!”

                “It will be like old times,” Thor said as his smile drained from his face. Sadness crept into his eyes and he suddenly felt very tired.

                “We should get some sleep,” Loki said.

                “We?”

                “I’m not sleeping on the floor, and that bed is certainly large enough for two.”

                “We haven’t shared a bed since we were boys,” Thor said, wistfully.

                “We can build a fort out of our blankets some other night. We need to sleep,” Loki said. Thor nodded and pulled at the fasteners on his armor, dropping the chest plate and then removing his tunic. Loki likewise pulled off his leathers, revealing his nude colored linens. Even in his undressed state, Loki was still covered from neck to wrist to ankle, yet the fabric was sheer and light.

                Thor turned his gaze downward and removed his leather pants. His maroon briefs were soaked in sweat and chaffed terribly. He stripped them off as well. The captain’s quarters of this ship were far from lavish but at least there was a bar of soap in the bathroom.

                “What are you doing?” Loki looked at him with his mouth agape.

                “I’m filthy. I’m going to wash my underthings in the sink and let them dry overnight.”

                “And sleep next to you in the nude? I think not!”

                “There is always the floor Loki.”

                “Fine. You keep that trouser snake on your side of the bed.”

                “What? Afraid it’ll jump out and stab you? It doesn’t intimidate you does it, brother?”

                “Oh please, it is hardly anything to write home about,” he said. Tears sprang to Loki’s eyes then.

                “Loki?”

                “I’m sorry,” Loki’s chin trembled a bit before he regained his composure. “Asgard is really gone.”

                “We are Asgard Loki,” he said.

                “Are we?” he asked, hurt shining in his eyes. Pain and anger contorted Thor’s face. He was mourning more than the loss of his home. Loki climbed into bed and hugged the edge on one side while Thor padded into the bathroom and gave his linens a good scrubbing. The lights in the bedroom went dark, while the bathroom light stayed bright. The yellow light made Thor’s short hair and bronzed skin golden. Stripped bare of all wealth and adornment, he was still a beacon.


	2. An Accounting

“Good morning Captain!” Bruce said with an overly bright smile. “You…um…should probably put these on.” Bruce handed Thor his underwear, trying to keep his gaze above a certain level.

                “Oh, sorry. What is it?”

                “Your people are gathered in the open cargo area in the back of the ship. They are all waiting for directions from you. They’re hungry.”

                “It’ll be another day at least before we make port. We will all have to fast together. It will be hard, especially for the children and nursing mothers, but we will endure,” Thor said as he sat up. He looked over and saw that Loki’s side of the bed was already made.

                “Where’s Loki?”

                “He’s still around. The kids really like him. He knows how to keep them entertained.”

                “I didn’t think I’d see you again so soon after turning back into the Hulk.”

                “With the danger over, I think he understood that my expertise might be needed under these circumstances.”

                “I may have need of both of you,” Thor said as he dressed. “How do I look?”

                “Like a king.”

                “A king without a kingdom?”

                “Fake it ‘til you make it baby,” Bruce said, getting a small chuckle from Thor. Thor patted him on the back as they turned and headed out of the captain’s quarters to the cargo bay.  Children and elderly women crowded the corridors on the way to his destination. When Thor stood before his people he noted the large number of withered faces and the very young. 

                Loki had a pile of children climbing on him like a jungle gym. One little boy was curled up on his chest with his arms around Loki’s neck in a vice grip. He held the boy as he fell asleep in his arms.

                “I know everyone is hungry and there are no supplies on this ship. We are making port at a place called NoWhere, but we will not arrive there until tomorrow afternoon. You have all endured so much already, and the pain in your bellies only fuels your mourning. But as a people let us endure together. Let today be a day of fasting and contemplation of our home and history. I know many of you did not sleep well last night. We lack enough beds for everyone. I recommend a rotation schedule of all beds, including the captain’s quarters so that all might get some rest. Sleep now while you can. Rest as much as possible today. Help each other through this day and come tomorrow, we will make port where we may buy the things we need. Neither Loki nor I were carrying any money when we evacuated. Those of you that have money or jewels on your person, I must ask you to surrender them now for the good of Asgard.”

                The volume in the room rose as people chattered and reached into their pockets. Gold chains were removed from necks and slowly, everything was passed to the front. Heimdall added it all up.

                “104 gold coins, 34 gold chains, 14 gold and pearl hair combs, 32 rings with various precious stones, 8 sets of daggers, and a set of diamond earrings.”

                “That’s enough to fill a pirate’s chest,” Bruce said.

                “Pirates is what we are,” Valkyrie said.

                “This is good. Better than I’d hoped. With luck, we will not need to “borrow” anything else from the people we encounter. When we make port not everyone will be permitted to leave the ship. We took this vessel and the man that owns it is hunting us. Due to our need to make a hasty retreat, only a small group of people will be permitted to leave to make the purchases we need. I need all of you to break up into groups of roughly 10-12 people and make a list. Please turn them into to Heimdall when ready.”

                Thor left the cargo hull and headed for the command center of the ship. Heimdall, Loki, Korg, Bruce, and Valkyrie followed him.

                “How many people are on this ship?” Thor asked.

                “Two hundred and Fifty,” Heimdall said.

                “How many Asgardians?” Thor asked.

                “Two Hundred and Thirty-six including all of us,” he said.

                “I saw a lot of old women, men, and children. What is the breakdown?”

                “132 females, and 104 males. But 61 of the females are past their childbearing years and 23 are little girls.”

                “So that leaves 48 adult women of childbearing age. What about the men?” Thor asked.

                “Of the 102 males, 34 are elderly, and 40 are young and adolescent boys. There are only 30 men in their prime, including us. But there is another complication,” Heimdall said.

                “What is it?”

                “12 of the men and women are married couples. Others are closely related by blood. There are many siblings and cousins on this ship. We are lacking in genetic variety.”

                “Wait, wait, wait…hang on. What are we discussing here?” Valkyrie asked. Thor sighed.

                “Our people are on the brink of extinction.”

                “And? I know you’re not suggesting that I breed myself like a cow. I am not the motherly type.”

                “We are all going to have to make sacrifices if our people are to endure,” Thor said.

                “No! No. I don’t believe that. I don’t want that. And shouldn’t we be focusing on more immediate problems right now?”

                “We are. We’ve set course for NoWhere, but we also need to start thinking long term. When we reach Midgard, we will need to rebuild our society, and that means replenishing our population.”

                “So…what? You want the women on this ship to lie back, spread their legs, and think of Asgard? Is that it?”

                “That’s not what I’m saying.”

                “Then what are you saying?”

                “Valkyrie…”

                “No. I’m not doing it. I don’t want children,” she said, turning on her heel as she left.

                “Smooth, Thor,” Loki said.

                “Let’s see your silver tongue do better,” Thor said. Loki pressed his lips together.

                “She is right. We do have more immediate concerns than this,” Loki said. “We should wait until we’re secured in our new homeland before turning our thoughts to this subject.”

                “I can run some DNA models to map out your population if you want,” Bruce said. Thor nodded. It was going to be a touchy subject but he needed to address it.

                “A word in private, Thor,” Loki said. Thor squeezed the bridge of his nose before running his hand over his scalp. He missed his hair. He missed a lot of things.


	3. Confidence

They walked back to the captain’s quarters not speaking. Thor was already cursing himself for his artless handling of the subject, but he wasn’t wrong. He knew his people.

                “I already know what you are going to say,” Thor started.

                “Oh really? I might surprise you,” Loki said.

                “You’re going to say that I was a crass fool to only think of our women as mere breeding vessels,  and I should take better care to address their feelings and concerns before broaching the topic publicly.”

                “That’s not what I was going to say at all,” Loki said.

                “Really?”

                “Our options are limited, Thor. Sure, the Aesir could intermate with the mortals but it would give the next generation a half-life that no one on this ship will tolerate. I for one have no desire to outlive my own children. Provided I ever have any, that is. I’m not Aesir. Our people are not really my people. They all know I’m Jotunn.”

                “Our father was part Jotunn, and I am as well to a smaller degree. I do not think they will care as much as you fear. Jotunns are just as long-lived as the Aesir.”

                “You need to think about the line of succession. That means marriage. That means you have to pick one of those women out there to be your wife and queen.”

                “There’s no rush. We have time. It’s like you said, we should wait until we’ve resettled first,” Thor said. Loki narrowed his eyes at his brother.

                “No rush? You were all about pairing off the women not five minutes ago. What’s that phrase? Good for the goose, good for the gander?”

                “I don’t need to marry yet.”

                “Oh, I see. Thor, son of Odin, King of Asgard, is afraid of commitment.”

                “That’s not it at all,” Thor yelled. He sat on the corner of the bed and sighed.

                “Then what is it?”

                “I have my secrets Loki. Let me keep them.”

                “Ooh, brother. I’m beginning to think we’ve been apart far too long if you think I’m going to let a statement like that, go.”

                “I miss Fandral. I could tell him almost anything.”

                “Tell him what?”

                “Things. It doesn’t matter.”

                “It doesn’t matter? You could tell him things that you can’t tell me?”

                “Yes! He had my confidence and I had his. I have your betrayal. I can’t even be certain if you’ll stay. How am I to know that you won’t just disappear when we make port? Or that you’ll even care what happens to us?”

                “You really don’t know me at all,” Loki’s voice shook. He spun on his heel and fled the room as Thor called after him.

It was quiet on the bridge of the ship. Heimdall was there, ever watchful. Bruce sat in front of the alien computer trying to figure out how to work it. After an hour, he gave up. Everything was in an alien language anyway. He decided to fill his time doing math equations with paper and pencil instead.

                “Hey,” Thor said.

                “Hey,” Bruce replied. His stomach growled then, as though to say hello as well.

                “The Hulk sounds hungry,” Thor joked.

                “I could go for a sandwich right about now. What did Loki want?”

                “He wants me to get married,” Thor said. Bruce craned his neck and looked up at him. “Line of succession and all of that.”

                “That’s different. If anything I figured he’d pick this moment to bump you off and take your place.”

                “Nay. Being King now isn’t any fun. He enjoyed lounging and eating grapes when he was masquerading as Odin. There aren’t any grapes here. There won’t be for a long time.”

                “Then why does he care?”

                “I thought he didn’t care about our people. All of his motives for the last few years have been self-serving. He used to care about the might and prestige of Asgard. Perhaps that piece of him has returned.”

                “It probably never left. The kid who screams that they don’t care, the loudest, usually cares the most. He’s putting in a lot of effort to appear detached, but if I’d seen Earth blow up the way you guys had to watch Asgard blow up, I’d be a mess.”

                “I can’t afford to fall apart right now. My people need me,” Thor said.

                “You can fall apart tonight. If you don’t, you’ll pop. Loki will too. You should go find him, mourn your dad together. It’s just a shame we don’t have any booze to help you two out.”

                “Yeah.” He stood there, watching the stars as they whizzed past the ship. It reminded him of Loki’s hair, all infinite blackness that shimmered in the light. Looking into the deepness of space felt like peering into eternity. He used to get the same feeling when he looked at Loki.

                Thor left the bridge to search for him. He found him in the cargo area of the ship that was fast becoming the common social area. The children had all cobbled together a fort out of items gathered from all over the ship. Loki tried to attack and they all climbed on him, bringing him down in a heap. They cheered in their victory over their prince, and when he sat up, the children all tried to hug him.

                “My son won’t let go of him,” said a woman to Thor’s left. She was a beautiful woman with long blonde hair done in the same style Frigga used to wear. “He watched his father die as he fought to protect us from Hela’s soldiers. When your brother showed up with this ship, my little Vali couldn’t take his eyes off of him.”

                “He really was our savior, wasn’t he?” Thor said. He leaned against the bulkhead with his arms folded as he watched the children play.

                “He misses you, I think. He’s got a big smile, but his eyes are sad. It would be very reassuring to the rest of us if the two of you reconciled. We’re all afraid. Seeing our princes at odds with one another makes us even more uneasy.”

                “I’ll keep that in mind, my lady.”

                “I’m Kelda, your grace.” Thor nodded as she left to scoop little Vali out of Loki’s arms. Loki’s gaze found him, and Thor shared a small kind smile with him. He looked so small, sitting on the floor with the children. His eyes had the same look of a boy searching for approval. Then it disappeared behind a confident mask.

                Thor walked over to him and offered him his arm. Loki took it and stood.

                “Come mourn with me, brother.”


	4. It Runs in the Family

“I miss the bread pudding we used to have on special days. Mother said it was her own special recipe, but I always wondered if she had ever actually made it herself,” Thor said.

“Of course she did. Mother was always serious when it came to making things with her own hands. It didn’t matter if it was her weavings, or potions, or her bread pudding. I could always tell the difference between hers and the stuff the cook made,” Loki said. They were curled up on their sides facing each other on the bed, like they were boys again, sharing their day. “I don’t understand how or why father kept Hela a secret from us.”

“And what about mother? Did she know about her? Or did father keep her a secret from mother as well?” Thor asked.

“What I want to know is what magic did he use to keep Hela contained? Why did he never teach us that skill? If it was so important, why let that gift fade away with him? I’m so angry with him. He lied to us, to me. There is so much heartache that could have been avoided if he’d been honest with us both from the start.”

“Perhaps it wasn’t something he could teach us. Like my power to summon lightning and thunder, I could never teach it to you.”

“He could have given us more warning at least. He could have told us a lot of things,” Loki said.

“God of Lies, lamenting being lied to.”

“My father taught me well.”

“You are of Asgard Loki, the same as any of us.”

“Yes. I wasn’t the only one he deceived. You finally know what it feels like.”

“He had his reasons.”

“And I had mine,” Loki said.

“What do you want? Now that everything we used to value is gone? What does Loki Odinson want out of life?” Thor asked. Loki took in a breath and swallowed hard.

“I don’t know,” he sat up but Thor grabbed his hand.

“Yes, you do. Don’t run from it Loki. You’re angry at father for not being honest, be honest now. What do you want to do with your life?”

“I want something I can’t have. I want to be happy, like anyone else. What about you? What does Thor Odinson want?”

“Something I also can’t have.”

“But you won’t tell me what it is?”

“No.”

“But you would tell Fandral if he was here?”

“Aye.”

“The two of you were always close. You were closer to him than even the others; than even Sif.”

“Sif! I never saw her in Asgard. Did you send her away?”

“I did. I banished her not long after taking the throne. I knew she was smart and would see right through me just like you did.”

“Where is she now?” Thor asked. Loki shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know. I frankly didn’t care where she went so long as she was away from me. Do you miss her? Is she the reason you don’t want to marry any of the women here?”

“No. In truth, I’ve never felt that way about her. Father thought she and I would make a great match, but my heart wasn’t in it.”

“But your heart was with that mortal?”

“That was different.”

“Yes, it was. What did you see in her?”

“I was vulnerable and lost when father banished me. She was this bright shining light that gave me purpose and direction. I felt such overwhelming gratitude towards her, I mistook it for something more. She broke it off, in the end,” Thor said. The silence that followed was just as awkward as ever, full of all the things they weren’t telling one another. The wall between them remained, and Thor could no longer stand it.

“I’m ready to tell you a secret,” Thor said. Loki turned his body to face him fully. Thor was still holding Loki’s wrist and he placed his other hand atop Thor’s.

“Fandral and I were lovers.”

“What?”

“We weren’t in love, per se. We were both friends and attracted to one another, but it wasn’t love. We simply recognized a similar quality in each other and we kept each other’s confidences.”

“I don’t believe it. Fandral…was a whore! He was the biggest womanizer in the nine realms!”

“He was full of shit, was what he was. We both were. Most of the tales he told about our brothel conquests were pure fiction to cover for our week-long getaways in the woods.”

“But the women at the palace…they talked about him all the time!”

“He drugged them. He’d flirt with them, drug their drinks, and take them home. By the time they got there, the women were passed out. He’d undress them and then go to sleep. The women always assumed that something happened.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“It’s true.”

“You don’t want to marry a woman because you want a man. Thor, I am the same!”

“What? But your nickname is Silvertongue. Freya sang your praises to any and all who would hear!”

“Well, I did earn that title. I fucked her brains out. People suspected me when I was young. You remember?”

“Aye.”

“When Freya told the whole universe know about my talents, the ladies chased me night and day for nearly a year. I encouraged them, to feed my reputation. That’s all it took.”

“Loki, there is another secret, I’d like to tell you,” he said. Loki’s heart clenched inside his chest. He stopped his hands from shaking and troubled his lip with anxiety.

“Yes, Thor?”

“Majesties?” a knock came at their door. Loki wanted to scream.

“Enter!” Thor yelled. Three women entered with eight children in tow.

“Forgive us, but you did say that the bed would be open for rotation. These children are all in need of a nap,” Kelda said.

“Aye. Of course,” Thor said. The intercom squawked overhead, and Heimdall spoke.

“Thor, we are approaching NoWhere. We will arrive within the hour.”

“Any sign of bounty hunters or the Grandmaster’s people?”

“Yes. They are everywhere.”


	5. Funny Seeing You Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remember that end credit scene at the end of Thor: The Dark World? Yeah. Also, let me know what you think so far.

“What are we dealing with?” Thor asked.

                “I can see three large ships hiding behind that cloud of stardust there. There are several groups of men, in sets of five, patrolling the interior,” Heimdall said.  

                “Is that a giant floating corpse?” Bruce asked, staring in awe out the window.

                “It’s the remains of a dead god,” Loki explained like it was just a boring museum exhibit.

                “Do they have the supplies we need?” Thor asked.

                “Yes, but we won’t be able to pay for any of it. They are all on the lookout for Asgardian gold. If they see our currency, they’ll attack,” Heimdall said.

                “We’ll melt it all down then. We can make a couple of gold bars out of what we have. It would make it harder for them to know their true value, and they might overestimate what we are paying them,” Thor said.

                “And if they don’t?” Bruce asked.

                “Smash and grab,” Thor said, looking at his friend.

                “No. Thor this situation requires stealth. You’re terrible at it. Let me take the lead on this one,” Loki said.

                “Alright, what do you suggest?” Thor said.

                “Bruce stays here on the ship with our people. They’ll need him if the ship is attacked while we are gone. There are some clothes in the captain’s quarters that will fit Heimdall. His face is not known to the Grandmaster or his employees. As for you, me, and Valkyrie, I can maintain an illusion over the three of us for a while. We obviously cannot pull up to the docking area while on this ship. How big are the shuttles down in the launch bay?” Loki asked.

                “Just big enough for the four of us in squeeze into the cockpit. The storage compartment is big enough to hold about half a dozen small farm animals and several large sacks of grain.”

                “For two hundred and fifty people, that will only feed this ship for a few days. We’ll need to purchase more than that,” Thor said.

                “We can fit more food onto the shuttle if we take fewer people,” Loki said.

                “Then it’s you and me, brother,” Thor said.

                “Fine, but under no circumstances are we playing “Get Help” again,” he said. Thor smirked. Oh, that was a challenge!

                Heimdall piloted the ship behind an asteroid where they could hide in relative safety. It took time to assemble the equipment needed to smelt down the Asgardian gold coins into unrecognizable ingots. Odin’s face melted away as the gold coin blended into the shimmering pool of metal. The last trace of their old economy vanishing with it.

                “I recommend that you pilot the shuttle back around to the other side of NoWhere and emerge here. It’ll lessen the chances of you giving away our position,” Heimdall said.

                “What is the backup plan if the two of you are captured?” Valkyrie asked.

                “Proceed to Midgard as planned. Try to get supplies somewhere else. Leave us behind. The safety of our people is most important. You can always try a rescue mission later,” Thor said. “Ready?”

                “Almost. We need a wardrobe change first,” Loki said. Thor saw light glimmer over their bodies and when he looked down he had a very impressive pair of breasts.

                “You look ravishing brother,” Loki said. He still had black hair and green eyes, and his dress was just as conservative as his armor. He, or rather she, looked very stately. Thor on the other hand…

                “Must my midriff be exposed?”

                “You’re my handmaid, and besides, if we get into a sticky situation, you can play The Happy Hooker.”

                “I’m not doing that,” Thor said.

                “Well you’re certainly not throwing me again,” Loki said. Valkyrie looked Thor up and down.

                “You’re pretty,” she said.

                “Um, thanks,” Thor got into the shuttle next to Loki while the others exited the airlock. “My voice is still deep.”

                “Yes, I noticed. You need to work on your pitch. Give it a try,” Loki said as he pressed buttons on the console to pilot the craft.

                “She sells seashells by the seashore,” Thor said in a fake voice that cracked like when he was 13.

                “Just, don’t talk,” Loki said.

                “You sound just as manly as I do. Let’s hear your girly voice,” Thor said.

                “Excuse me, but do you know where I might purchase some livestock?” Loki said in a smooth voice. It was still deeper than most females but believable, with a sultriness that was surprising.

                “You did that a little too well,” Thor said.

                “I’m good at pretending to be other people, remember?” Loki said.

                “How could I forget?” Thor said, with no small amount of bitterness. They fell into silence after that until the docking station came into view. Right away they knew this place would be difficult to navigate. There were two drunken men duking it out in front of a window next to the airlock.

                “Under no circumstances do we split up,” Thor said.

                “Why not? This place looks like a lot of fun,” Loki said.

                “Loki our people are starving,” Thor said.

                “Fine, fine. You’re such a bore, you know that?” They pulled into the bay where they were greeted by a green scaley looking man holding a clipboard.

                “5 credits please,” he said.

                “We don’t have credits, will a gold ring do?” Loki asked, pulling a real sapphire ring off his finger to offer as payment. The lizardman narrowed his eyes at Loki and grunted.

                “Space trash,” he snatched the ring from Loki’s hand and inspected it. “It’ll do.”

                “Thank you. You wouldn’t know where I could buy some livestock and grain?”

                “This isn’t a farm lady. The food stalls are to the left.”

                “Thank you,” he said. Several men catcalled and whistled as Loki and Thor walked by. Thor had their gold in the purse he carried, and he was glad for it. He could use it as a weapon if he had to. It wasn’t Mjolnir, but gold was heavy and he could swing the sack like a hammer. The thought made him smile.

                A group of men wearing Sakar guard uniforms passed them in the corridor, eyeballing them as they walked by. Thor smiled and waved at them, making his fingers dance as he did so. One of the men returned a lustful grin before being smacked on the head by his superior for not paying attention.

                “You enjoyed that,” Loki said. “Thinking of taking up a new profession brother?”

                “He wasn’t ugly,” Thor countered. Loki turned his gaze to him, unbelieving. “What? I’d fuck him.”

                “You can’t be serious.”

                “He had very fine facial features and slim wrists.”

                “You like the pretty ones.”

                “Yes, I do,” Thor said.

                “Not me. I like the big beefy ones. If I’m going to fuck a man, he needs to look like a man. Broad shoulders, firm pecs, and a tight ass.”

                “Do you top or bottom?”

                “I could ask you the same question,” Loki said as he looked around. There were food carts selling fresh hot food and his stomach growled and protested when the smell of cooked meat hit his nose.

                “That smells divine.”

                “And looks questionable, but I’m so hungry I almost don’t care,” Loki said.

                “We can ask them who their supplier is and hopefully buy from them wholesale,” Thor said. They got in line in front of a stall selling sausages and bread.

                “Hello Grott, the usual please,” said the man in line ahead of them. He had short white hair and a long red cape much like Thor’s. He turned around as he waited to take in his surroundings and noticed the two women behind him. “My, my, what are two lovely ladies like you doing in a place like this?” he asked. Loki’s defenses went up when he saw the same decorative line of make-up drawn on the man’s bottom lip that the Grandmaster liked to wear.

                “Meeting business contacts. You?”

                “I live here. I sort of run this place you could say. I am Tanaleer Tevan, but to many, I’m known as The Collector,” he said. His eyes ran up down Thor and Loki both and it made Loki wonder if he could see through his illusions. Loki wanted to scream. Before Loki had taken over Asgard, Odin had sent the Reality Gem off to some distant place for safe keeping. Volstagg told him, his name was The Collector. Did he sense that he had the Tesseract? Fuck.

                “It is a pleasure to meet you,” Loki said.

                “Might I buy you lunch? It is rare that we get a lady as well breed and attractive as you here in the middle of NoWhere,” he asked.

                “That is very generous, but I’m afraid we are pressed for time,” Thor chimed in.

                “Nonsense! You know better than to speak for me,” Loki said.

                “A servant that speaks out of turn. Mine know better than to do that,” he said.

                “Don’t mind Hilda. She’s just protective. She doesn’t trust strange men,” Loki said.

                “Ah, an admirable trait. Loyalty is rare among the servant class,” he said.

                “That it is. Hilda, go busy yourself somewhere else while this gentleman and I have a chat,” Loki said. Thor gripped his purse extra tight, holding back the urge to swing it at Loki’s head. Tanaleer ordered another plate of food and he and Loki sat down to eat and flirt.

                “Could you tell me who your food supplier is and if they are nearby? I’m in the market to purchase several animals and sacks of grain,” he said.

                “I have several Gemleys. How many are you looking to buy?”

                “Forgive me for asking, but what is a Gemley?”

                “Here, it is one of these,” the man walked back and pulled a curtain on the shop behind him. Thor saw a small herd of goat-like creatures. They were perfect.

                “I would like to buy the lot from you, how much?”

                “20,000 credits would cover all ten of them,” he said.

                “I don’t have credits. I have gold. Will this do?” Thor asked, opening his purse and showing the bars to the cook.

                “Oh Aye, that’ll do,” he said.

                “And I also want 20 sacks of this grain as well,” Thor said, pointing to the fragrant pot of what looked like rice.

                “5 sacks.”

                “10 sacks.”

                “Fine. And where am I delivering your order?” Grott asked.

                Loki watched out of the corner of his eye as Thor and the food purveyor loaded up a cart and herded several sheep down towards the ship. He was alone with Tanaleer, and he couldn’t resist the opportunity. Loki playfully batted Tanaleer’s arm and squeezed his bicep, just a little.

                “You are very charming. It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a conversation like this,” Loki said.

                “I admire your intellect, dear lady. Would you like to see my collection?”

                “Why not? Impress me, if you can,” Loki said.

                “It’s been a long time since a lady challenged me. I rather like it,” he said. Loki took his arm and together they walked towards the only grand building he could see. Tanaleer leered at him out of the corner of his eye, just like the Grandmaster did when they first met.

                “Forgive the mess. There was a bit of an explosion several weeks ago and I’m still trying to replace all of the glass. Many of my exhibits escaped.”

                “I thought you were going to try to impress me?” Loki said.

                “Oh, dear lady. I will,” he said. They walked down a long corridor to a door covered in several ornate interweaving locks. Tanaleer pulled out a giant key from his pocket and turned the lock. The gears all moved one by one in a cascade until the last one clicked and the door swung open. He escorted Loki inside to reveal the Aether sitting on an illuminated pedestal.

                “Interesting. What is it?” Loki played dumb.

                “This is an Infinity Stone,” he said.

                “Is that important?” Loki asked.

                “It is. Would you like to know what it does?”

                “Sure.”

                “It can change the fabric of our reality. Unfortunately, it is very powerful and draining. I’ve tried to use it, to the detriment of my health. But some of its power still lingers within me. It gave me a new skill.”

                “Did it now?” Loki pressed his body against Tanaleer’s to distract him as much as possible.

                “I can see through illusions,” he said. Loki’s fake smile fell off his face. Tanaleer grabbed Loki’s wrists violently and squeezed.

                “You’re wearing two layers of illusions, Jotunn. There aren’t many of your species left. You’d make a great addition to my collection.”

                “Hmm, tempting but…no,” Loki threw his head back and then forward, using his forehead to break Tanaleer’s nose. He broke free of his grip and reached for the Aether box. His hand wrapped around it, but a forcefield went down, and he was stuck. He couldn’t let go of it, nor withdraw.

                “Do you like my little mouse trap? My brother did say that capturing you would be easy. He also said that you were a fantastic lay.” Tanaleer waved his hand and Loki’s illusion dropped, as did Odin’s enchantment. Loki looked down at his blue hand in horror.

                “Yes, well tell your brother, he’s a terrible fuck. Forgive me, but I can’t stay,” he said. Loki waved his free hand and summoned the Tesseract.

                “The Space Gem!”

                “Tata,” Loki closed his eyes and let the power of both stones flood his body. He was flying through space not knowing where in the universe he’d end up.

                “What the fuck?” Alarms were going off and it took Loki a moment to recognize the voice he heard.

                “Ah, Mr. Stark,” Loki said as he looked around at the new Avengers facility.

                “You’re supposed to be dead,” Tony said.

                “I’m supposed to be somewhere else. Excuse me,” Loki closed his eyes again and damn near got whiplash when he landed back on the ship. The wrong ship.

                “Loki! How the fuck did you get here? Where is Thor? And the food?” Bruce asked.

                “Overshot it. I’ll explain later,” he tried again, and ended up back at Tanaleer’s home, this time in the foyer.

                “Yes! No! Fuck!”

                “There he is!” Tanaleer shouted to his men. Loki ran. Using the power of the stones he shot out red bolts of lightning at the people all around him. It was fun until he ran down a dead end.

                “Please work. Please work,” Loki flung a red ball of energy at the wall and a hole appeared. He ran through it to a gambling casino on the other side. Suddenly a pair of very strong female hands were on him and he was dragged to a dark corner.

                “Thor!”

                “Where the fuck did you go?”

                “No time! I’m being chased,”

                “What happened to your illusion?”

                “The Collector saw right through it.”

                “Can he see through mine?”

                “Yes, but his men can’t. I don’t think. Is the ship loaded?”

                “Yes, but getting you there is going to be a problem. If they follow our shuttle, they’ll find our ship. We’ll never outrun them.”

                “It won’t be a problem.”

                “What do you mean it won’t be a problem?”

                “It won’t be a problem,” Loki said. Tanaleer’s men flooded the casino then, knocking over gambling tables and shoving people to the edges of the room.

                “We’re looking for a Frost Giant. He’s blue, like the Kree, but with red eyes instead of yellow. Has anyone seen him?”

                “I need something to distract them,” Loki said looking at Thor meaningfully.

                “No.”

                “Yes,” Loki said.  Thor cursed to the heavens and then ran out into the middle of the room and climbed on top of a table to get everyone’s attention.

                “I saw him,” Thor said in his best girly voice. “He paid me to touch these,” Thor ripped open his bodice to display his magnificent tits to the leering public. “Who wants to touch me next?”

                “Get down you fucking whore! Go sell yourself somewhere else!” The leader of the brute squad yelled.

                “Well, I never!” Thor feigned indignation and sauntered off out the front of the establishment, but not without several people pinching his ass along the way.

                “Hey, baby. How much to have your head bob between my legs?” asked a pig-snouted man. Thor elbowed him and knocked him out flat.

                “Norns, you are an unfortunate looking creature.” He ran to the shuttle, hopping over the bleeding bodies of men that Loki cut down along the way.

                “What the hell took you so long?” Loki yelled as Thor boarded the shuttle.

                “My services were in high demand.”

                “I bet they were. Hang on!” They pulled out of the dock and aimed straight for their ship.

                “What are you doing! You’re leading them right to our people!”

                “It won’t matter!”

                “What do you mean it won’t matter? Our ship cannot possibly outrun theirs!”

                “It won’t have to!”

                “Loki, stop!”

                “I have the Tesseract Thor!”

                “What?”

                “Think, you idiot! I was in the vault, putting Surtur’s head in the eternal flame. The Tesseract was sitting right there. Did you really think I was going to just leave it?”

                “I forgot about it.”

                “Of course you did.”

                “I’ve been a little preoccupied! You’ve had it all this time! You could’ve taken us straight to Midgard!”

                “No, I couldn’t!”

                “They are gaining on us!”

                “Thor, Loki! What the hell are you doing? All three of the Grandmaster’s ships have found us!” Bruce’s voice chimed in over the comm.

                “Just open the bay doors and tell our people to sit down and brace for a big jump,” Loki said.

                “They’re firing on us!”

                “I know! Stop yelling! Press some buttons or something!”

                “I am!”

                “Almost there. Almost there.”

                “Loki slow down. Loki slow down!”

                “Can’t. We’re going to feel this. On my command shut the airlock doors!” Loki yelled into the radio. “Now!” The little craft zoomed into the lowering doors and slid all the way into the back wall, crashing into a heap. The moment the airlock door closed, Loki pulled out the stones and used them.

                Blue and red light enveloped the ship, and it disappeared.


	6. Feast

“Where are we?” Loki asked as he marched onto the bridge.

                “Holy shit! What happened to your skin?” Bruce asked.

                “I’m scanning the nearby stars. Give me a minute,” Valkyrie said. “We crossed the distance of seven full jumps. We’re less than two weeks away from Midgard.”

                “Really? That far? I thought I’d get us much closer than that,” Loki said.

                “How did you get us this far?” Bruce asked as he stepped closer to scrutinize Loki’s appearance, which he ignored.

                “With the Tesseract,” Thor said as he came limping into the room. “So when were you going to tell me you had it?”

                “I already did, when it was necessary,” Loki said.

                “But not before. Just when I think I can trust you, you continue to keep secrets from me,” Thor said.

                “I had good reason to,” Loki said, his voice filled with grit.

                “I’m sure you think so,” Thor said.

                “We’re on our way to Midgard, Thor. Midgard. You know those people will not welcome me there and yet you completely disregard my concerns. You want to resettle our people someplace safe, but that place will exclude me. I’ll be homeless Thor. I’ll have no family, no friends, nothing. The mortals will want to either kill or incarcerate me on sight, which means I’ll have to flee. What did you expect me to do?”

                “Have faith in me!”

                “Faith to do what Thor? Convince your mortal friends to let me stay? Is that it?”

                “Yes! Damn you! I have to do what is right for our people. They’ll be safe there, and it’s what father wanted.”

                “You never even considered resettling anywhere else! I know father was sentimental to the old mortal countries that revered us as gods. But do not lie to yourself and think that I will be welcomed there, and do not expect me to believe it as well. You know better Thor. What the hell were you thinking?”

                “That I could have my brother back,” Thor said.

                “How, by wearing a face that isn’t my own, day in and day out. Hide in plain sight? Is that it?”

                “If necessary. There are ways Loki.”

                “Of keeping secrets? What about him?” Loki looked at Bruce. “You really think he wouldn’t tell the others about me?”

                “Maybe, if I asked really nicely,” Thor looked at Bruce.

                “Uh, Thor…your brother is right on this one. There’s no way I wouldn’t tell Tony about him. Loki is still Loki in spite of all the shit that has happened to us over the last couple of weeks.”

                “They don’t need to know. They all think he’s dead anyway. I thought Loki died during the Convergence and told all of our friends that. You’re the only one who knows,” Thor said.

                “Um…actually that’s not true anymore,” Loki said.

                “How do you mean?” Bruce asked.

                “Well, the Tesseract is a bit powerful and unpredictable. With more practice, I could pinpoint my destinations more accurately. I jumped around the universe a couple of times when I tried it. One of the places I landed was in Anthony Stark’s living room. He was surprised to see me.”

                “So Tony knows you’re alive,” Bruce said.

                “Very much so, yes. And judging by his countenance, time has not faded his memories or feelings towards me.”

                “I’ll talk to him when we arrive,”

                “Thor…”

                “I’ll talk to him. You’re different now,”

                “Not really…”

                “Things are different now…”

                “Thor…”

                “I love you God damn it!”

                “We should discuss this in private. The animals on the shuttle will need to be slaughtered and butchered. There are sacks of grain that can be boiled and served immediately,” Loki said before turning on his heel and leaving. Thor followed him all the way back to their room.

                “You cannot leave,” Thor said. “I love you. You’re the only family I have left. I need you. Asgard is gone.”

                “I thought Asgard was a people, not a place.”

                “I tell myself that. I tell the people that, to help them keep their chins up. Loki when I was separated from you in that place I was terrified. I feared you’d left me, or that you’d been captured. I feared I’d never see you again. Twice I’ve thought you dead, and yet the thought of losing you again is heartbreaking to me.”

                “I thought you washed your hands of me.”

                “I thought so too,” Thor grabbed Loki’s upper arms and squeezed, running his thumbs over the leather and staring into his eyes.

                “It hurts me to look at you sometimes. I feel all these things, and all at once every time, and I feel like I’m going mad,” Loki said. He felt like he should have tears falling down his cheek, but his Jotunn eyes did not shed tears. Thor’s hand moved to the back of his neck, then up his scalp, burying in his black hair.

                “I love you Loki.”

                “I love you too, brother.”

                “No. Not brother. That’s not the kind of love I’m talking about.”

                “You…love me?”

                “You were always the prettiest.”

                “You were always the strongest.”

                “You yearn for me as well?” Thor’s voice broke.

                “So much so that I hurt you, to push you away. I felt wrong. All my life I felt wrong.”

                “Never again,” Thor crashed his lips into Loki, consuming him.

                “But I’m blue!”

                “I’ll have you still. Always.” Thor stripped off his tunic with frustrated urgency, yanking and tossing in a bid to get naked as quickly as possible. He started pulling on Loki’s clothes, but Loki stopped him.

                “Promise me, no matter what happens, you’ll choose me. Even if it means we have to leave Midgard and our people behind. Heimdall can take care of them. We can go where ever we want. Promise me.”

                “I swear it,” he said, and Loki let himself fall into his brother’s arms, fully trusting for the first time in years. Buckles, buttons, and laces were torn open. Boots were kicked off and sent flying into different corners of the room. Hands roamed, stroking, prodding, and nudging. Their bodies twisted and mouths explored until they were pleasuring one another.

                “Loki!”

                “So velvety and firm,” Loki commented as he laved his tongue over Thor’s massive cock. “Ah!” He gasped when Thor’s fingers breached his puckered furl and his tongue rolled his testicles in his mouth. “Oh no, you don’t! I’m not losing this game,” Loki said. His mouth dove onto Thor’s cock and he swallowed down the fat appendage as deeply as his throat allowed.

                Thor responded by sucking on the helmet of Loki’s penis, hard. He added a second and then a third finger to stretch Loki wide, massage and stroking his insides until Loki screamed around his cock. The vibrating of Loki’s throat muscles undid him, and Thor came first.

                “Loki! Oh, baby! Oh…” he buried his face back between Loki’s legs and let his tongue dance until Loki was writhing and wailing and trembling. He sucked the sweet nectar out of him and cried tears of joy as Loki shouted his name.


	7. The Creating of the Shrew

Thor’s stomach growled with intense ferocity. The food was on the other side of the ship yet the thick aromas of charred meat wafted through the air ducts like a siren song.  The Asgardians made quick work of dispatching the first two animals. Lengths of steel wiring had been cut to act as sticks upon which every conceivable cut of meat could be skewered and roasted over a flaming barrel. The ventilation system in the cafeteria was at full power to suction away the smoke. The little galley was not built to see to the needs of so many. The four largest pots were all filled with the grain and cooked up using various methods. Boiling seemed to be best, considering the sparse seasonings available in the cupboards. Thor was immediately handed a meat stick when he entered the room. His people cheered for him, their king, who made possible this feast. It didn’t escape anyone’s attention, the large patch of blue skin on Loki’s left cheek that appeared to be a bruise.

                “Thank you Prince Loki,” a little boy tugged on Loki’s tunic. He was perhaps four years old at most.

                “You’re welcome Vali,” he said. Vali held a half-eaten shishkabob in one hand as he raised both of his arms aloft so that Loki could pick him up. Loki grinned at the unspoken request and pulled the boy up into his arms and held him.  He rested his little head on Loki’s shoulder burying his nose in Loki’s neck like a lost puppy. A couple more children came and hugged Loki’s legs briefly before shooting back to their dinner plates.

                “Does it hurt?” Vali asked, poking at Loki’s skin. Odin’s enchantment was failing, no thanks to The Collector. There were other blue patches on Loki’s body in more concealed areas as well.

                “Yes, it does,” Loki said, with a deeper meaning than the boy could understand. He felt a hand on the small of his back then and saw Thor looking at him.

                “Vali! I was wondering where you’d gone,” Kelda came running and took Vali back, feeling a little embarrassed. Her eyes raked over Loki and Thor both.

                “It was no trouble,” he said. She turned back towards the tables where the grain was being served. Thor and Loki both noticed the lingering eyes from around the room, mostly belonging to the fairer sex.

                “It would appear, the ladies are all thinking about the same thing you were thinking about the other day,” Loki said.

                “They are thinking about the future, the same as I. You have a way with children,” Thor said.

                “Who would have thought?” he paused. “What will you tell your mortal friends when we arrive?” Loki asked.

                “That I love you.”

                “And?”

                “And…that’s it.”

                “Thor…”

                “I will keep my vow Loki, come what may. If Midgard wants my protection, they’ll have to accept you as part of that deal.”

                “Asking for refuge and a pardon will be hard to pull off. You don’t have enough goodwill for both.”

                “Are you so certain of that?” Thor asked with a wry smile and a twinkle in his eye.

                “Yes,” Loki said dryly.

                “You’re probably right. Still, I would try to at least convince my friends that you are redeemable.”

                “With what? A public relations campaign? The mortal governments might fall for that, but not Anthony Stark. He’s too damn perceptive.”

                “True. I suppose we’d have to deploy a little trickery then.”

                “Go on…”

                “Make them think you are a completely different person.”

                “Your monster friend already knows who I really am, and he has no intention of keeping our confidences.”

                “I don’t mean it like that,” he said. Thor circled around a group of children eating their dinner. Several mothers were spoon feeding the little ones that couldn’t quite manage it themselves yet. “I’ve already broached the topic of rebuilding our population. We don’t have enough females.”

                “You are not suggesting what I think you are suggesting?”

                “We could make a new game of it. Call it, the Nesting Housewife,” Thor said.

                “Fuck you, I’m not a woman.”

                “Fuck you I will. Hard and deep, with my cock so far up your delicious ass you’ll be able to taste my seed. And while I do prefer you as you are now, you are the one who pointed out that I need to get busy having children. I do still need to pick a wife. Technically, so do you,” Thor said. It made what little bit of a smile that was on Loki’s face disappear in an instant.

                “You make a valid point. So you want me to put on a show of acting the shrew for the benefit of your friends?”

                “Yes. They won’t know what to make of you.”

                “That is so insane it just might work. You know I’m going to milk this. I mean, if you are asking me to be your Queen, I want a full proposal, on one knee with flowery words in front of everyone,” Loki said. Thor turned to him and ran his fingers through Loki’s curly hair.

                “You shouldn’t fight your natural color. It is lovely, and it’ll remind my friends that you are an alien with alien ways. For you to suddenly reappear as a female with blue skin will help to further confuse them about you.”

                “Aren’t you glossing over one very important point?”

                “What’s that?”

                “That at some point you have to confess to your friends that you and I are fucking?”

                “Not just my friends, Loki. Everyone,” Thor said as he looked around the room. Two bay doors opened on the far side of the cafeteria where Valkyrie and Bruce entered. She waved at the brothers and Bruce smiled at them.

                “No time like the present,” Thor said. He wrapped his arms around Loki and kissed him in front of everyone.


End file.
